


Coffee tastes bitter

by Anzunyan (Celestiaru)



Category: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Genre: Being cute and fluffy, M/M, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, maoritsu, ritsumao
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-25
Updated: 2017-01-25
Packaged: 2018-09-19 20:58:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,011
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9460190
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Celestiaru/pseuds/Anzunyan
Summary: A kiss with Mao tastes bittersweet. At least after he drank coffee.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Woke up too early and had an idea, apparently. I promise this time I'm not breaking hearts. Just teeth because of possible cavity, it's all fluff. 
> 
> Also all kudos at my super uncreative title.

The air is freezing, so cold that the moment Ritsu steps out of the door into the open, he feels his cheeks and nose go numb. Breathing vaguely hurts because the air is so stabbing cold when he inhales and he feels like it freezes his air pipes. He shoves his fingers deeper into his pockets and lowers his head, sinking half of his face into the warm, soft scarf around his neck and, well, now also around half of his face.

It's even still snowing a little.

“Why didn't you put on a hat?” Mao asks as he notices small snowflakes nestling into Ritsu’s dark hair and making it shimmer and glitter slightly.

Ritsu just shrugs and doesn't answer, letting himself get pulled along by his childhood friend.

The world seems sleepy, even more so to Ritsu than ever. The whiteness around him seems to muffle sounds, maybe it's also because no many people can use a car or bikes while the snow lies thick on the ground, almost untouched and the people already on their way at this unholy hour don't talk much to preserve energy, don't make much noises stepping on the snow.

It crunches softly underneath Ritsu’s boots, the sensation of stepping on a snowy blanket makes Ritsu yearn for his bed. He can't really feel his forehead anymore despite his hair covering it, but his hair might be frozen cold and stiff, too. He can't tell.

Some people have started shoveling the snow away on the street in front of their homes, creating piles of white snow against the walls at the side of the streets Ritsu and Mao pass.

He misses the thick snow blanket sensation underneath his soles and his red eyes linger on the piles of snow, that look soft and comfortable.

“Don't even think about lying down on it,” Mao says, pulling Ritsu a bit more forcefully so Ritsu wouldn't do anything stupid.

“How did you know?” Ritsu mumbles sleepily but lets Mao pull him until they are at the train station.

“You're easy to read, Ritsu.”

Only Maa-kun can read him so well, he wants to say but finds it too much of an effort so he just remains quiet as they sit down on one of the benches.

“Hmm, the train seems to be delayed by some minutes…”

Mao doesn't get a reply and he turns to see his childhood friend with closed eyes, nodding off.

“Ritsu? No- don't fall asleep again… sheesh. Wait here…”

The dark haired boy vaguely senses Mao leaving and it makes him feel uncomfortable, so he fights against his heavy eyelids and opens his eyes, to see, luckily, Mao returning by his side.

“Here.”

A cup is put into Ritsu's lap and he looks at it before belatedly pulling his hands out of his pocket. For a second he regrets doing so because the cold is painful to his sensitive piano fingers but as soon as he wraps them around the cup, the gradual warmth seeping through his fingers makes him sigh a little. He pulls his scarf down to smell the scent of strong warm coffee.

“Thanks, Maa-kun.”

“It's fine,” Mao smiles and flicks a snowflake from Ritsu’s nose that hasn't melted because his nose is red and cold from the brief exposure to the cold air.

They sit in silence for a while, the train station filling with adults on their way to work and students waiting for the train. Mao taps away on his phone while Ritsu just inhales the coffee scent, feeling just a little bit more awake and less frozen.

“Maa-kun.” 

A soft hum of recognition is the only reply he gets when Mao doesn't look away from his phone. Probably Trickstar or Anzu. Or the student council. 

He offers the cup to Mao nevertheless, it's too early and he is, despite feeling a little more awake thanks to the coffee scent, still too sleepy to get sulky over that or anything.

“Thanks, uhh it's cooled down quite a bit, huh? Cold coffee is much bitterer than hot one.” He drinks it anyway because they both know Mao definitely got less sleep than Ritsu.

The cold numbs Ritsu’s mind and as the train delays some more, he is lulled into the cold embrace of winter, his eyes closing and his head tilting, resting on Mao’s shoulder.

“Again? Really Ritsu, you should drink coffee and not just inhale it, you'd actually be awake for more than a few seconds...I'll get you another one-”

Ritsu moves quick, for being sleepy and cold, that is.

Mao’s lips are warm from drinking the coffee and it warms Ritsu’s cold ones. He is grateful that he can feel Mao’s lips when the cold air has threatened to numb his entire face.

There is bitterness on Mao’s lips when Ritsu nibbles them gently, swiping his tongue over his childhood friend's mouth, enjoying the warmth while hoping to give some back this way.

A kiss with Mao tastes bittersweet. At least after he drank coffee.

“R-Ricchan…!” Mao sounds breathless and definitely embarrassed, his green eyes darting around as if to see if anyone noticed, but he doesn't sound upset so Ritsu is not bothered.

“I don't like coffee so I don't drink it but coffee tastes nice through your lips, Maa-kun.”

It visibly flusters Mao and the redhead fights for composure. “I- That- you can't call _that_ a coffee intake. You only got an aftertaste like that.”

“But I like that. I don't like bitter things, I like the smell of coffee but you know I like sweet things.” The train arrives and everyone starts moving. Ritsu for once is the first of them both to stand up.

“But maybe thanks to Maa-kun I like bittersweet things.”

Ritsu's words almost get swallowed by the noise of the crowd entering the train but Mao catches it and feels happy at those words.

The beautiful symbiosis between Ritsu and him warms him up just as much as the kiss and way more than an hot coffee ever could.

**Author's Note:**

> One important question: When will maoritsu finally marry?


End file.
